The Miko of Legend
by ACleverPenName
Summary: Shikon no Tama was Midoriko's decision. A decision she made after fighting endlessly for seven days and seven nights. A fight which required unwavering courage. But courage isn't what you're born with. It's something that grows over time. Follow Midoriko's journey of courage till the fateful decision. (Rated T for mild language)
1. The Not-so-fated Encounter

The sun blazed upon the small town of Kakushu. The dirty roads cracked a little under the summer heat, the dust settling on the vendors who haggled with their customers for a better price. The market place was buzzing with activity. Kakushu was well on its way to become a big town and then a city. The snow-white castle on the cliff edge overlooking the valley of Kakushu gleamed in the daylight.

"Did you hear the growling last night?" One of the villagers commented, scratching his neck over his brown cotton shirt, looking towards the castle.

"I wonder what it was all about." Another replied. "We're lucky the daiyokai protect us."

An old woman spit in her spittoon.

"We can't trust the demons." She said, opening her cataract laden eyes at the men around her. "It's because of the shrine that we are safe. They wouldn't dare hurt us as long as that shrine exists. When I was younger..."

"Yes, yes." A villager said, patiently. "Everybody knows of the prophecy. But it's been almost a 100 years, Oba-chan. Nobody even knows what it says for sure."

"I was there!" The old woman said, indignantly. "I may have been only 7 but I knew perfect Japanese by then. It spoke of..."

"The new beginning." One villager interrupted.

"The strength of a woman, the strongest of them all." Another chimed in.

"Through the divide, there will be peace." A third one continued.

"And through the peace, there will be no divide." A fourth one concluded, shaking his head. "The last two sentences negate each other!"

The old woman frowned at the chuckling lot. She rubbed her knees, the arthritis getting to her. But she knew she was right. Maybe the prophecy wasn't to be fulfilled in her lifetime. But when somebody lives for as long as she had, they could tell the subtle differences in the air no one could figure out. She looked towards the castle, her clouded vision unable to make out its white marble glistening in the sun.

-X-X-

"Ouch!" The younger demon scowled as he dropped his sword.

He rubbed the angry red blotch on his hand and scowled at the sun.

"The sun has no effect on us, young master." The tutor said, frowning.

His red hair blazed in the sunlight as beads of perspiration clung to his muscular chest.

His apprentice, a young demon of around 16 years, looked coldly at his tutor. He then looked at the shrubs move, his silver hair swaying in the wind. His golden eyes squinted in the direction as he sniffed the air. He heard his tutor chuckle.

"Back to the conspiracy theories, are we Inu no Taisho?" The tutor said, grinning.

"I'm not a fool." Inu no Taisho growled back. "Does this look like a training accident to you, Sensei Genjenki?"

Inu no Taisho pulled up his sleeve and revealed the burn mark on his arm.

"That's nothing." Genjenki said, revealing his fanged teeth.

He pulled up his sleeve and showed the scar that nearly split his arm in two.

"Now that we have exchanged war stories, one obviously more impressive than the other, can we go back to training?" Genjenki said, throwing Inu no Taisho his sword back.

Inu no Taisho caught it and twirled it around. He screamed a war cry as he charged at Genjenki. This time, he felt the burn on his heel. And he could have sworn he heard a chuckle from the shrubs. Inu no Taisho lost his balance and skid on his stomach towards Genjenki. Genjenki got to his knees.

"Oi." He said, bonking Inu no Taisho's head. "Stop messing around. This is serious stuff."

Inu no Taisho growled, the blue streaks on his cheeks crackling as his eyes started turning red. Genjenki pummeled the blunt end of his sword into Inu no Taisho's neck.

"No need to go all daiyokai on me." Genjenki murmured, as Inu no Taisho lay face flat in the ground. "I will pick you up when you're done with the hissy fit of mommy being mean."

Genjenki chuckled at his own joke as he retreated into the castle.

Inu no Taisho lay at the spot, the sun burning his back through his white silken clothes. He sighed.

He hadn't been able to get a decent hour of practice in for almost a month. His father was most displeased. No matter how much he tried to reason with the man saying that he was being inexplicably injured during practice, his words fell on deaf ears. The other yokai were starting to call him a runt.

Inu no Taisho clutched the grass, uprooting them in his rage. But he sat bolt upright as his hands grazed something. He jumped back on all fours, growling wildly at the intruder.

_How the hell did she get in?_ Inu no Taisho thought, panic slowly creeping in, as he looked at the girl look at him amused. _Why didn't I pick up her scent? _

"G..." Inu no Taisho started to shout.

But the girl swiped the air and Inu no Taisho's voice was stuck in his throat. He grabbed his throat, choking for his voice. His instincts kicked in as his eyes started glowing red.

The girl ran towards him and hit him in the neck with the hilt of his own sword. Inu no Taisho jumped back but fell to the ground once more. The girl turned heel and swiftly ran away, leaving Inu no Taisho on the grass once more.

-X-X-

"Midoriko!" The head priest exclaimed, as Midoriko entered the shrine, a broom firm in her hand. "Where were you? You missed the afternoon prayers."

His bald head shone mesmerizingly in the sunlight.

"I beg your forgiveness." Midoriko said, bowing in humility. "I was on cleaning duty and seemed to have lost track of time."

"Go." The head priest said, indulgently, snatching the broom from Midoriko. "Offer your respects."

Midoriko nodded and entered the main shrine. She closed the door behind her. She studied the room, her twinkling brown eyes sweeping the shrine room quickly. Once she confirmed that she was alone, she leaned back on the door. She looked at the effigy of the shinto god in front of her and sighed. She walked towards the statue and sat on her knees.

"Hey, God." Midoriko started, her voice bored. "It's me again. Still waiting for that sign."

She stared at the statue for a good half hour, before she heard the door open behind her. She quickly bowed her head and walked backwards, away from the statue.

"It is with your prayer that your strength grows." The head priest said, smiling kindly. "Run along, now. The other girls have already started the kagura practice."

Midoriko nodded and bowed again. She tied up her long dark hair and dusted the grass stains from her white haori. She joined the other girls and quickly caught the basic steps.

"Where were you?" The girl to her right hissed as she twirled the fans. "Head Priest Yamato was worried sick."

"Cleaning duty." Midoriko said, as she frowned to match her feet to the fan movements.

"What cleaning duty?" The girl reprimanded, her long brown hair swaying as she moved. "You weren't on cleaning duty today. Mido, if you were where I think you were... You're gonna start a war!"

"Let me concentrate, Akane!" Midoriko hissed angrily. "If we miss the steps, we are gonna have to do this more. And that' will be worse than war!"

Akane rolled her purple eyes, moving away from Midoriko and dancing in sync with the beat. The rest of the class kept glancing at Midoriko, whose face was screwed in concentration, her tongue sticking out a little. They gave Midoriko a wide berth as she swung her fan. Her hakama swayed haphazardly, without grace as Midoriko tried to dance. And then, as she had done in every class, Midoriko tripped over her hakama and landed on her behind. Midokriko controlled herself from throwing the fans at the nearest snickering face.

"Midoriko!" The kagura instructor said in a disappointed voice. "You have to try to match the beat. This is an important aspect of being a miko and you can't just breeze your way through this."

Anger bubbled through Midoriko. But she got on her knees and bowed, her head touching the ground.

"I beg your forgiveness, Sensei." Midoriko said, her voice sincere. "I have been trying to get better and I assure you that you'll see an improvement soon."

The teacher rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm afraid you just don't have the aptitude for this, Midoriko." The teacher said, rubbing the wrinkles under her eyes.

"Please." Midoriko said, looking up at the kagura teacher. "I ask you for patience. I want dearly to be an adept miko and the kagura dance is an important aspect. I request you with all humility to not give up on me."

"What's going on?" The head priest, Yamato, called from the shrine.

He seemed to have come their way to put the broom away in the stores.

"Bijinko-san." Yamato referred to the middle aged kagura teacher. "What seems to be the problem?"

Midoriko got to her feet and looked at the ground. Though it looked like she was being polite, she was counting backwards trying to quell her anger.

"I have discussed this with you before, Yamato-san." Bijinko said, adjusting the sleeve of her haori. "Midoriko had trouble mastering even the most basic of kagura. I'm afraid it's a lost cause. We have been fruitlessly working on this for 6 years now. Now, she is 15 years and there is still no improvement. I told you earlier about my reservations of taking in a girl that old."

Yamato looked at the rest of the apprentice maidens and signaled for them to leave. Midoriko followed them, her hands clenched tightly.

"Breath!" Akane exclaimed, as Midoriko's face progressively changed colours, when everybody else were out of earshot.

"That old fart!" Midoriko complained, punching a tree.

Tears immediately streamed from her eyes as she jumped on the spot. Akane giggled.

"It's not my fault that I can't dance!" Midoriko muttered through the tears. "When a student can't learn in 6 years, it's a reflection of the teacher, not the inability of the student."

"You say some wise things, Mido-chan." Akane said, patting Midoriko to comfort her.

"I can't get kicked out." Midoriko muttered.

Akane nodded.

"Don't worry." Akane said in a soothing voice. "I will talk to Sensei and make her understand."

Midoriko slowly nodded.

"Thanks." She said gratefully.

Akane and Midoriko were from the same village. Akane was sent to the shrine a year before Midoriko. Back in their village, Akane and Midoriko weren't the best of friends. Midoriko was fondly known as the Destructive Daiyokai back then. Short tempered and foul mouthed, she had gotten into trouble numerous times even with the royal guards. She barely ever bathed and her stench would warn people of her arrival. Both Akane and Midoriko were from very poor families who lived on scraps thrown away by others. But at least, everybody maintained some amount of dignity. But Midoriko was above that. She dived into dirt and shouted profanities at anyone who got in her way, including her parents and two siblings.

When Midoriko was brought to the shrine on that rainy night, Akane wasn't able to control her disgust. How could somebody like Midoriko be a pious miko? That night, after enduring the first day of lesson, Midoriko sought Akane out.

_"You're from my village?" Midoriko asked, her dark brown eyes oddly hollow. _

_Akane nodded, before starting to walk away. _

_"Please." Midoriko said, her voice cracking. _

_She held Akane's hand. Akane was surprised at the callouses that lined Midoriko's hand. _

_"Please." Midoriko repeated, her eyes pleading. "Can we talk for a moment?" _

_Akane frowned and nodded. She followed Midoriko to the store-room by the dance platform. Midoriko slowly closed the door behind them. The thunder roared behind them, the lightening casting shadows in the dark store-room. Midoriko was looking at the ground, her long hair obscuring her face. _

_"If you have nothing to say..." Akane said. _

_Midoriko lurched forward, her knees slowly bending. She put her head to the ground. _

_"Please." Midoriko said, her voice choking. "Please don't tell anybody about how I was before." _

_Lightening flashed again. Akane rushed towards Midoriko, holding the broken version of a troublemaker she used to know. _

_"I won't." Akane said, unable to bear the raw pain radiating from Midoriko. "I promise." _

_Midoriko clutched Akane's elbow and wailed, her cries drowned in the thunder. _

Akane later came to know that Midoriko's family were planning on moving to a different village. On the first night of their journey, they were attacked by demons. The few who survived credit Midoriko's powers. Midoriko purified the demons souls leaving behind only wisps. Only Midoriko and her younger sister were spared in her family.

The shock was too much for the sisters to bear, who spent the next couple of days on the roadside, stunned into silence by the incident. The royal guards arrived at the behest of the Lord of the land to retrieve the sisters. But the sisters were nothing more than rag dolls. Any attempts to communicate were met with stony silence and hollow expressions.

_It was later decided to separate the sisters to try to coax them to normalcy separately. But Midoriko went feral when they tried to take away her sister. She clawed and bit the men. And then, using her powers, she blasted a hole through the side of the mansion, the rubble falling on the men, accidentally hurting her sister in the process. _

_Midoriko fell limp to the ground, her expression horrified. Midoriko's sister finally cried, an act which neither of the sisters had been able to do. The men ushered the younger sister away from Midoriko, who didn't protest. Midoriko confined herself in that room till the Lord of the land personally came to her. _

_"I have a fair idea of what happened." He said, his voice stoic. "You cannot stay here indefinitely. I do not need nor entertain guests. However, if you promise to become a miko, I promise to take care of your sister. I will provide her with food, shelter and education and groom her to be a noble woman. Under the circumstances, this is the best deal you can get." _

_Midoriko looked at the Lord, confusion overtaking her mind. _

_"What?" Midoriko said, confused. _

_The Lord grinned. _

_"I was starting to think you had gone mute." The Lord said, pompously. "I have made you a fair offer, girl. I suggest you take it. And once you're a miko, you come back to me."_

Midoriko was transported to Kakushu overnight.

-X-X-

Midoriko rubbed her temples, frustrated at the stupidity of it all. Most of the training to be a miko involved her controlling her powers. But the dancing part was just ridiculous. She paced her room impatiently as the others chatted outside, going about cleaning the shrine.

Akane entered the room and closed the door behind her. Akane was the type of person who wasn't angered easily. So the vein throbbing on her forehead wasn't a good sign.

"What did she say?" Midoriko said, anxiously following Akane around the room.

"Senility is getting to her." Akane said, in a tone that was unlike her. "No amount of reason worked. Yamato-san tried too. But she was being so stubborn."

Midoriko waited for the final judgement, tears forming quickly.

_I failed._ Midoriko thought miserably. _I failed and now we have nowhere to go._

"You have to perform for the Lord at the upcoming festival." Akane muttered angrily. "The benefactor of the shrine is friends with the Daiyokai and they have requested for you personally."

"Me?" Midoriko said, flabbergasted.

"Bijinko-san was hoping to kick you out by then and not bring shame to the shrine." Akane said, her finger on her chin. "But the Daiyokai heard of your powers and wanted to see a performance."

"Seriously?" Midoriko said, angrily. "We're training to kill demons and now I have to dance for one!"

"The Inu yokai are allies of humans." Akane said, brushing Midoriko away. "They will be guests of the Lord, of course. Now, she wants you to perform because she thinks that Yamato-san is too soft with you."

"I don't see anything wrong with being soft with me!" Midoriko argued.

"That's not even the worst part." Akane said, now glaring at Midoriko. "The Inu Daiyokai will be there with his _whole_ family. Including his younger son, on whom you have been experimenting your powers upon."

* * *

**AN:**

**Translations:- miko- shrine maiden or priestess.**

** haori- the white kimono top wore by shrine maidens**

** hakama- the loose read pants wore by shrine maidens**

** yokai- demons**

** daiyokai- Great Demons**

** Oba-chan- informal way of old lady/grandmother**

** Sensei- teacher**

** Kagura- a type of dance performed by miko's**

**-X-X-**

**Yay! You stuck with the chapter all the way till here. So I have had this story in my head for a while. Just wanted to get it out. Maybe a little out of canon because probably Midoriko and Inu no Taisho were not contemporaries. But Inu no Taisho was a demon. So for me, it falls within the realm of possibilities. You can look forward to a lot of incidents that Inu no Taisho was referenced to have done in Inuyasha. Hope you guys like the portrayal of Midoriko. **

**Please do let me know what you think.**

**As always, keep reading.**


	2. Dancing With Demons

Midoriko kept muttering profanities under her breath, the stress forcing her to her old ways. She paced the waiting area repeating the steps in her head and cursing out loud when she got it wrong.

"You know." Akane said, smirking at Midoriko. "The kagura is the easiest of all dance forms. You're lucky!"

Midoriko shot an angry look at Akane and cursed again.

"Don't distract me." Midoriko hissed, as she swayed on the spot.

Midoriko had spent the last week dancing. She cleaned dancing. She cooked dancing. She prayed dancing. She managed to get an entirity of 14 hrs of sleep that week.

Akane tried to coach Midoriko. But her two left feet had Akane on her wit's end. To Midoriko's surprise, the other girls took turn coaching Midoriko too. They helped her late into the night, trying their best to break the steps down as much as they could. Other than Akane, Midoriko wasn't especially close to any of the girls there.

_"We're sisters!" Kaya had explained when Midoriko suspected a catch to the niceness. "We're in this together." _

Midoriko didn't know how to respond to kindness of the other miko apprentice. But she had made up her mind that once it was all over, she would make an effort to bond with the others too.

"Fuck!" She cursed as she tripped.

She threw the fan across the room.

"Dance is all about giving in to the moment." Akane said, as she walked across the room and picked up Midoriko's fan.

She twirled it in her hand and covered the side of her face.

"It's about letting the Gods take over and move you into dance." Akane said, as she twirled slowly on one leg.

"Let's not get started about the Gods." Midoriko said, sourly as she dusted her costume.

The kagura dance costume was a simple one. The regular miko clothes had a long overcoat with bird patterns on them. Midoriko looked at the elaborate headset which she was supposed to balance on her head.

"That's where your problem lies." Akane said, handing Midoriko her fan. "You're too into your head. And you can't dance in your head."

Midoriko squinted her eyes in anger.

"This isn't going to work out, is it?" Midoriko said.

Akane slowly nodded.

"It's not the technique." Akane said, kindly. "It's your heart. It just won't give in to the moment."

Midoriko nodded knowledgeably.

"Yes." Midoriko said. "I see your point."

She then turned heel and marched across the room. She took out a cloth bag from a hidden hole under the ground.

"When did you dig that?" Akane said, surprised.

"My unyielding heart always thinks of a escape route!" Midoriko said, putting the bag over her shoulder.

She then pulled Akane into a tight hug.

"I am really going to miss you." Midoriko said, her voice choking a little. "Tell the others that I'm really grateful for their help."

Midoriko pulled away but Akane held her hand.

"Don't be silly." Akane said, rolling her eyes. "You can't run away!"

"What other option do I have?!" Midoriko said, incredulously. "I just cannot dance. Bijinko-san is going to have me kicked out anyway. I might as well leave with some dignity and spare myself the humiliation."

Akane rubbed her temples. It was tiresome to Akane that even though Midoriko was 2 years older than her, Akane was still the adult in the relationship.

"If you abdicate..." Akane said, trying to keep her voice calm. "You have no means of a livelihood. Nobody to support you. Your sister will be kicked out by Lord Hajime. You need to think things through."

Midoriko smiled cockily.

"I'm going to bust my sister out." Midoriko said, her eyes shining. "And then I'm going to become a demon slayer."

"A demon slayer?" Akane said, shocked. "Since when have you been thinking about that! You have spiritual powers. The strongest in all the lands. A demon slayer is beneath us. You cannot be serious about this!"

Midoriko held her tongue. She didn't want to discuss the nature of her powers with Akane.

"What choice do I have?" Midoriko shot back, taking the alternate route. "Is it fair that I get kicked out because I can't dance?"

"Yamato-san would never let that happen." Akane said, biting her lip.

"That is a possibility in the future." Midoriko said, stamping her foot. "I'm going to make a complete fool of myself in a couple of hours."

Midoriko put her bag down and marched up to the head-dress. She put it on her head, the bead laces covering her face.

"I can't dance, even without this." Midoriko said, moving unsteadily. "I'm expected to pull out a stunning performance. My powers are for killing demons. Not for dancing!"

Midoriko swirled on the spot and fell out of the makeshift changing area, the curtain door swaying open. Midoriko looked at Akane, through the beads. She didn't like the way Akane was looking at her. It made her stomach churn.

"Miko-san?" Midoriko heard a voice say politely from nearby.

Midoriko immediately got to her feet. Looking at the company of the voice who called out to her, she held the head-dress firmly in place.

"Masayoshi-sama?" Akane said, bowing as she hid Midoriko from view. "This is the changing area. The main event is at the shrine square."

The youngest son of the feudal lord, So Masayoshi, nodded, his violet eyes glistening in the sunlight.

"Our guest wanted to see the sacred garden." Masayoshi said, gesturing towards the boy next to him. "Since today is the only day the barrier is let down, I wanted to accompany him. I beg your forgiveness. We were unaware that this shortcut was being used as a changing area."

Midoriko tried to shrink away from view behind Akane.

"That's quite alright." Akane said, bowing in humility. "Please. Proceed this way. Inu no Taisho would find the hydrangea exquisite this time of year."

Inu no Taisho averted his gaze from Midoriko and nodded at Akane.

"Thank..." Inu no Taisho started but was interrupted by Midoriko slapping her own neck.

"A flea?" Midoriko murmured looking at her hand.

Inu no Taisho squeeled in surprise.

"You have my deepest apologies, Miko-sama." Inu no Taisho said, getting on his knees. "That is Myoga. His clan is an ally of ours. However, they are not the most refined. I beg your forgiveness for his disrespect."

Myoga popped back to size and jumped on Inu no Taisho's shoulder.

"My humblest apologies, Miko-chan." Myoda said, scratching his brown hair. "I couldn't resist myself. The rumors of your power pale to your true strength. Your bl..."

Inu no Taisho squished Myoga flat with his thumb. He bowed his head, still waiting for Midoriko's forgiveness. Masayoshi got to his knees as well.

"Miko-san." Masayoshi said, his dark hair falling carelessly over his handsome features. "I request you to forgive this insolence and close the chapter. The defiling of a maiden by a demons hand is cause for war, from my father's point of view. And it would be most prudent to close the matter now."

"We wouldn't want war now, would we?" Akane said, a few moments later, looking pointedly at Midoriko.

"Oh.." Midoriko said, catching the flow of the conversation. "Right. I forgive you."

Midoriko's heart was racing. If Inu no Taisho got even the slightest hint that Midoriko was the one tormenting him for a month, a war between the humans and the yokai would ensue. Midoriko didn't even know how she let it get that far.

At first, she would stand by the main castle door. The demons would go in a frenzy sensing her presence. Midoriko reckoned that if she were ever to be successful, she needed to find a way to cloak her powers. It took almost an year for her to cloak herself to lower demons. She progressively snuck into the castle, the demons reliant on their extra sense perception of smell and hearing. The only way for them to detect Midoriko would be if she danced inadeptly in front of their eyes. Midoriko started working her way up to more powerful demons.

The first time Midoriko sneaked around on Inu no Taisho was when his red haired tutor and he were dueling. Midoriko almost revealed herself as she stood there mesmerized by Inu no Taisho's skill. The sword was a blur in his hand and he was almost at par with his more experienced and stronger tutor.

Something in Midoriko clicked that day.

Until then, she wasn't afraid of demons. She knew she was stronger and could turn them to dust. But her hands shook as she gazed upon Inu no Taisho's raw power. And it wasn't just his overwhelming demonic presence. It was his ability at an art that was majorly human.

Survival instinct kicked in and she burned Inu no Taisho's shoulder. She knew that she didn't want a demon to get that powerful. Inu no Taisho dropped his sword and looked around wildly. But Midoriko was already high tailing it back to the shrine. She was terrified of being discovered and being the reason for a war. And ever since that day, Midoriko swore not to allow Inu no Taisho, the youngest son of the Inu Daiyokai, to get stronger.

"Thank you, kind Miko-san." Inu no Taisho said, rising to his feet and bowing in humility. "I'm in your debt."

Midoriko slowly nodded.

Masayoshi bowed too and the two left.

"That was close!" Akane said, once she was sure that they were out of earshot.

But Midoriko was shivering.

"He knows." Midoriko murmured. "He remembers my scent now. I was so engrossed in this stupid dance that I didn't cloak myself. All the Inu yokai know."

Akane clutched Midoriko's shoulder.

"I know you don't trust them." Akane said, in a soft voice. "But they are our allies. It's OK. They won't hurt us."

Midoriko reserved her comments.

"You can't run away." Akane said, a few moments later. "We all worked really hard."

Midoriko nodded. She felt foolish. Why was she worried about tripping in a stupid dance? She had to become a miko to make sure no innocent people ever died again. If there was even a slight chance that Yamato could make sure she doesn't get expelled, she had to take it.

-X-X-

Midoriko took a deep breath as she faced the main shrine. She rang the bells in her hand and started the dance. She had to dance solo for around ten minutes and then the rest of the girls would join in. She could easily melt into the crowd then and mess up to her hearts content.

The Inu yokai watched the performance with genuine interest, their culture having no similar practise. Their eyes bore into Midoriko uncomfortably, their demonic gaze making her heart beat violently.

A couple of minutes in, Midoriko took a deep breath and felt the stress melt away. The yokai collectively shivered. She could tell that they had got a full blow of her powers. She controlled her smile.

It gave her solace that the demons were afraid of her. She bowed again to the altar of the shrine and got to one foot. She was almost done. The other girls would join her when she set her foot back on the ground. But as though fate had another plan, a strong gust of wind destabilized Midoriko.

_Fuck._ She thought, as she slipped sideways.

The crowed collectively gasped. Bijinko closed her eyes, her nostrils flared.

But the worst part was yet to come.

The head-dress rolled of Midoriko's head and she lay on her side facing Lord So and his guests, which included Inu no Taisho. Realization flashed across Inu no Taisho's face.

"You!" He jumped to his feet, pointing at Midoriko.

Few of the gazes averted to Inu no Taisho. Midoriko clenched her fists, ready to fight of all the demons present at her home.

"You..." Inu no Taisho repeated, as the other miko apprentice got on stage, continuing the performance.

Akane positioned herself next to Midoriko.

"Get up." She mumbled under her breath. "Get up and dance."

Midoriko nodded and got to her feet, moving to the last file of the dancing mikos. Inu no Taisho watched the performance quietly, following Midoriko with his golden eyes. Midoriko could feel his demonic intent overpower every other demon present, including his own parents. But he was quiet. He hadn't outed Midoriko yet.

_Maybe he is waiting for the performance to end._ Midoriko thought, thinking of way to get the barrier up again and expelling the demons.

The performance met thunderous applause, human and demon alike. The mikos bowed to the altar for whom they had performed and hurried off stage.

"You were amazing, Mido-can!" Kaya said, enthusiastically.

Midoriko frowned at the lot.

"I tripped." Midoriko said, confused. "Did that not happen?"

"That was a difficult portion." Kaya said, changing into her regular clothes.

"For a person who couldn't dance for two minutes at a stretch, you did remarkably well under pressure." Midoriko heard Bijinko-san's voice.

Bijinko was smiling at her students.

"The Lord and Daiyokai alike loved the performance." Bijinko said. "And I must say, all the sneaking around and practising did you a lot of good. All of you. It was heart warming to see your resolve to help your sister."

The others laughed, looking forward to spending the rest of the festival with the regular population, lighting fireworks and eating at the stalls.

Akane stood by the door, her expression reflective. She signalled Midoriko to follow her. After walking a couple of paces, Akane turned around, her hand on her hip.

"You were supposed to hold on to that head dress, no matter what." Akane said, her face screwed in anger. "He wasn't supposed to see you. We're lucky he kept quiet. You're going to apologize to him right now!"

Midoriko rubbed he elbow.

"No." She muttered.

"No?!" Akane exclaimed, her eyes twitching. "That wasn't a request, Mido. Do as I say or..."

"No." Midoriko said, now looking at Akane stubbornly. "I didn't do anything wrong. I was preventing him from getting stronger."

"Is that what you were doing?" Inu no Taisho's voice rang from nearby.

He was accompanied by a surly Masayoshi, who was looking at Midoriko angrily.

"You have no power here." Midoriko said, hovering protectively in front of Akane.

Inu no Taisho grinned, his fangs boring into his lips. His eyes changed colour and the blue streaks on his cheek crackled. Midoriko marked characters in the air. Inu no Taisho swiped his hand and Midoriko fell back. Akane looked at the demon horrified.

"Relax." Inu no Taisho said, smiling, the air around him claming down. "I just wanted to show you how much power I have."

"You dumb mutt." Midoriko said, angrily. "Are you mocking..."

"Enough." Masayoshi intervened, his voice powerful. "Miko. You have to apologize to Inu no Taisho right now. He has agreed to keep this information from his father under that condition."

"No." Midoriko said, stubbornly getting to her feet.

Power radiated from her, the leaves of trees rustling. Midoriko flexed her fingers, ready to purify the demon in front of her.

But any such thought was driven from her mind by a resounding slap across the cheek from Akane.

"Hey!" Inu no Taisho said, rushing towards the two.

"I know this is hard for you." Akane said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But you have no idea just how serious this can get. I get why you don't trust demons. But this is bigger than that. If a war breaks out, we will lose. No matter how strong you are, we will lose. Innocent people will die because you couldn't mutter a simple apology. You maybe a lot of things but you're not heartless, Midoriko."

Midoriko flinched at the use of her full name.

"I..." Inu no Taisho started.

"I'm sorry." Midoriko said, her hands shaking. "I'm sorry that I was trying to stop you from getting stronger. That stems from my own issues and if you must, I should be the one punished. Nobody else is responsible."

A few moments passed when nobody spoke.

"Well." Masayoshi said, scratching his chin. "That escalated quickly."

Midoriko looked up to Masayoshi grinning sheepishly at the two. Inu no Taisho looked at the scene uncomfortably.

"He only wanted to pull your leg." Masayoshi explained, his hands raised as he started backing up. "He was rather impressed by your cloaking ability."

"Not impressed." Inu no Taisho said, mirroring Masayoshi. "Mildly surprised, to be accurate."

Masayoshi let out a chuckled. Akane glared at him.

"It's all water under the bridge, Miko-san." Masayoshi said, almost out of earshot. "We..."

Masayoshi was interrupted by a loud blast that shook the earth. The four looked in the general direction and watched a portion of the snow white castle missing, dark smoke reaching for the sky.

* * *

**AN:**

**Whew! You made it! Hope you guys like the story so far. Let me know what you think through reviews/PM.**

**As always, keep reading!**


	3. An Attack from All Sides

Inu no Taisho changed form and flew towards the castle.

"OI!" Masayoshi called out to the flying demon.

"Forget him." Akane said, urgently. "We need to get to the village."

Miodriko's eyes were fixed at the blazing castle, her feet rooted.

"Mido!" Akane cried, tugging Midoriko's shivering hand.

"Come on!" Akane urged, pulling Midoriko along.

Smoke rose from the village.

"Whats going on?" Masayoshi asked his father.

"Demons." Lord So muttered as the villagers gathered at the shrine. "The Inu yokai have gone to their castle. We have to hold them off till they can come to our aid."

Midoriko looked north, the dark miasma of demons inching towards the village. A few of the vanguard lay in pieces, strewn around the village.

"We have to get the barrier up." The head priest called out, after the last of the villagers gathered at the shrine.

The priests and apprentice mikos started chanting.

"Mido!" Akane called out from the shrine entrance, having already joined the others in creating the barrier.

Midoriko's knees were shaking, her mind going back to the night the demons killed her family. The similarities of the situations were overwhelming. And that was when her fear turned to anger. Midoriko marched upto Yamato.

"Whats the plan?" She asked.

"We get the barrier up." Yamato said, as he marked characters in the air. "And then we wait for the Inu yokai to help us."

Midoriko clenched her fists. She broke through the barrier and ran towards the demons.

"MIDORIKO!" Kaya shouted but stayed within the boundaries of the shrine.

_Stupid._ Midoriko thought, as the effects of the miasma grew stronger. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Waiting for demons to save us from demons._

She looked at the bodies of the soldiers around her, their blank eyes staring at the afternoon sky. She took a sword from the nearest soldier.

"What's the plan?" Midoriko heard a familiar voice ask.

She almost broke her neck turning around. Akane and Masayoshi were close on her heels, panting a little as they kept up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Masayoshi said, angrily.

"I should be asking you that!" Midoriko said, drawing circles on the ground.

Akane quietly watched Midoriko.

"You can't be serious?" Akane said, holding Midoriko's hands. "There have to be hundreds of demons in that group alone. We don't know how many attacks to expect."

"What's going on?" Masayoshi demanded.

"Let's go back to the shrine." Akane said, her voice unexpectadly calm.

"I know why you are here." Midoriko said, as she pulled her hand free. "But it's not going to work. You know this is our best chance."

"Our best chance is waiting for the Inu yokai." Masayoshi said, angrily. "Father is most displeased. Lord Hajime was emphatic about your protection and my father gave him his word."

Midoriko smiled a little.

"Last chance." Midoriko said, as she drew the last characters in the circle around her. "Get back to the shrine. I can't guarentee your safety."

_I can't promise to protect you._ Midoriko thought, hoping the they would turn around.

"Would somebody tell me what's going on?" Masayoshi said, looking west towards the advancing demons.

"She is going to draw them here." Akane muttered. "Our barrier won't hold long against the sheer number."

"What?" Masayoshi said, taking a couple of steps back.

He instinctively drew his sword. Akane sighed a little as she took a lance from the body of a soldier.

"This better work." Akane said, as she stood next to Midoriko.

"Are you fucking insane?" Midoriko growled. "I just said I can't guarantee your safety. Go back to the shrine. I will handle them."

"I'm sure you can." Akane said, smiling. "But I will be worried sick at the shrine. I can help a little here. Masayoshi-san should go back though."

Masayoshi looked at the girls for a minute.

"And leave two girls behind to do a man's work." Masayoshi said, taking a firm defensive stance, a frown on his face. "If I survive, I will never hear the end of it."

"You guys are nuts." Midoriko grumbled. "You're only going to weigh me down."

"Oh, just complete the spell, Mido." Akane said, rolling her eyes. "I don't nearly have the power to draw _all _of them here."

The demons were almost at the shrine. Midoriko completed the circle around her and was immediately surrounded by a glowing pinkish light.

-X-X-

The fighting at the castle paused for a moment, looking at the light coming from the village.

"What the hell was that?" The eldest son of the Inu Daiyokai, Inu no Ooji said, as he single-handedly battled five demons.

Several of the demons crawling on the castle walls rushed towards the light, leaving the carnage at the castle behind.

"Hold your positions." The strongest of the Inu Daiyokai, Inu no Ko, barked.

His five sons immediately turned their complete attention towards the battle at hands.

"Honey!" Inu no Ko's wife, Inu no Kogo, called out. "Why is it so hard to break into our own castle?"

She swiped the neck of the nearest demon attacking her.

"The demons are coming from inside the castle." Inu no Ko replied, as they inched their way towards the interior of the castle.

"I sense a large anamoly at the King's chamber." Genjenki added, slicing the necks of the weaker yokai.

"My chamber?" Ino no Ko said, guffawing. "You have some nerve."

"He maybe right, Father." The second son of the Inu no Ko said, as he jumped over bodies of slain demons. "The location of the anomaly seems to be your chambers. Since few have access to your chambers, it will be easier for us to identify the primary culprit."

"Stay back, sweetie." Inu no Kogo cooed at Inu no Taisho. "Your brothers and your father can handle this. You just stay close to mommy."

Inu no Taisho rolled his eyes as he tried to take a couple of steps towards the castle.

"Listen to your mother." Inu no Ko said, his voice serious. "I cannot have all the princes taking part in a siege."

"Father, I assure you..." Inu no Ooji started.

But he faltered under his fathers gaze.

"You don't think I can fight, can you?" Inu no Taisho said, as he cut through a couple of demons. "You think I'm too soft."

"Of course not, sweetie." Inu no Kogo said, in a sing song voice. "Your father is just being smart about this. Besides these are only low level demons. You can stay and protect mommy."

Inu no Taisho's hands shook in anger.

A couple of years ago, Inu no Taisho had fought with his father over the unjust imprisonment of a human and snuck the human out in the dead of the night. Inu no Taisho never saw that human again but his relationship with his father had never been the same since then, his father taking the act as the ultimate act of betrayal to their kind.

"You will stay out of the way." Inu no Ko said, a tone of finality in his voice. "Let's go."

His yellow streaks crackled as he changed forms. The other princes followed suit. Genjenki glanced at Inu no Taisho one final time before changing form and followed them inside. Inu no Taisho, his mother and the lower Inu yokai were left at the gate, slaying any stray demons the others missed.

-X-X-

Beads of sweat dripped down Akane's cheeks as she fought the yokai, slaying some and purifying some. Masayoshi was adept with the sword but the sheer number of demons had them at a disadvantage. Midoriko kept glancing at Akane and Masayoshi, slaying demons in the tens in a single blow. More demons came towards them from the castle.

"There are too many." Akane said, dropping to her knees, the exhaustion finally getting to her.

Midoriko killed the demons that were about to pounce on Akane.

"Go back to the shrine!" Midoriko ordered Akane.

But Akane was barely able to stand. The overwhelming demonic presence was a first for Akane.

"Maybe we should all go back to the shrine." Midoriko heard a voice say from near her ears.

Almost immediately, she felt a pinch near her ear. She slapped her neck and Myoga floated down.

"Why is he here?" Masayoshi said, as he hovered protectively around Akane, the strain of the demons showing on him too.

"Myoga, right?" Midoriko said, as she jumped towards the nearest swarm slaying them with a flick of her sword.

"I'm honoured you remember, Midoriko-sama." Myoga said, holing onto a strand of Midoriko's hair.

"Why aren't you with the Inu yokai?" Midoriko said, drawing temporary protective barriers around Akane and Masayoshi, giving them some time to recover.

Myoga jumped on Akane's shoulder when he realized what Midoriko had done.

"I was sure my service would be needed here." Myoga called out from Akane's shoulder.

Almost immediately, Akane's thumb descended on Myoga.

"He's a coward." Akane said, trying to get to her feet.

"Stay down." Midoriko said, as she stood fast in front of the demons, the barrier around Akane and Masayoshi fading. "Stay behind me. I'm not sure I can control this yet."

"Control what?" Masayoshi said, as he tried to get to his feet.

"When Mido says stay back, we stay back." Akane said, pulling Masayoshi down.

Midoriko dropped her sword. She took a deep breath, trying to push away any doubt that she may have. One thing she had learned at the shrine was that doubt was a mikos biggest undoing.

She felt the world around her slow down a little. She faced the advancing demons and swiped the air. For a second, everything froze. And then the demons started falling to the ground, squirming helplessly, the weaker ones completely still in death. Midoriko picked up her sword and flew threw the demons, slaying the ones that showed even a little sign of life.

Once she was sure she got the last of the demons, she fell to her knees, panting heavily. She screamed in victory and turned towards Akane and Masayoshi.

The world froze once more.

"AKANE!" Midoriko shouted as she ran towards the pale body of Akane, bleeding profusely from a lump of flesh missing around her abdomen.

"No." Midoriko cried as she skid to a halt near Akane. "No. How did this happen?"

"You." Masayoshi said, clutching the pale body of Akane. "What you did to those demons happened to her."

Midoriko scrambled away from Akane, her hand on her mouth, her eyes wide in horror.

"She lives." Myoga said, from Akane's shoulder. "She's weak. But she lives."

"We need a doctor." Midoriko said, hope descending into the panic. "We need to get her to a doctor."

Midoriko scooped Akane on her back and started running towards the shrine. Masayoshi unsteadily balanced himself on his legs, using his sword for support. He touched his side, a layer of blood covering his hand. He clicked his tongue as he started making his way to the shrine.

-X-X-

Inu no Taisho squinted at the village, his expression solemn. He sniffed the air, thick with familiar blood.

"Masayoshi is hurt." Inu no Taisho said, as he doodled on the ground. The fight was taken deeper into the castle. The yokai sat around their queen and prince, taking in the summer sun. Inu no Taisho sighed again.

"Don't be so glum, dear." Inu no Kogo said, ruffling Inu no Taisho's hair. "The fight will be over soon and we can have a nice cup of tea. How would you like that?"

Inu no Taisho rolled his eyes, his fingers flexing as they ached to fight.

"Can I atleast go to the village?" Inu no Taisho grumbled for the tenth time. "You already think I'm too soft with humans. Maybe I can help there."

"You know I can't allow that." Inu no Kogo mother said, looking glumly at the village. "There isn't anything you can do now."

-X-X-

Midoriko ran wildly through the village, barely noticing the burning huts and the lifeless bodies. Her heart froze every time a drop of Akane's blood dripped to the ground. Midoriko's knees hurt, the sides of her chest burnt.

But she knew she couldn't stop.

She knew that if she paused for even a second to catch her breath, Akane's body would get that much colder.

Midoriko barely registered the centipede demon at her back. Midoriko's instictively crouched as the shadow of the creature engulfed her own. But the creature passed over Midoriko and landed with a heavy thud nearby. Midoriko recognized the sword she had used earlier sticking out from the back of the creatures head.

Masayoshi walked towards the demon briskly and pulled out the sword. He frowned at it for a few moments and then gave it to Midoriko.

"This was Mori-san's." Masayoshi said, as he kept pace towards the shrine. "It was a gift from my father. Take good care of it."

Masayoshi, Midoriko and Akane arrived at the shrine.

Masayoshi stopped dead on his feet. He covered Midoriko's mouth who was about to scream. The shrine lay in ruins, the demon army advancing from the opposite side. Trolls wrestled at the entrance as larger demons picked them off and tore their limbs.

"You have to be quiet." Masayoshi hissed into Midoriko's ears.

Midoriko nodded as tears streamed down her face. Akane slowly slid down Midoriko's back, Midoriko jumping to bring her back to place. Masayoshi started stepping back, a hand still on Midoriko's mouth. Midoriko watched the burning shrine become smaller, as Masayoshi crept into the shadows of the forest.

After they were a safe distance away, Masayoshi released Midoriko, who fell to her knees, the unconcious Akane still on her back. Midoriko's mind was screaming, but her voice was now stuck in her throat. Masayoshi punched a tree, his face masked in pain.

"Her heart rate is slowing." Midoriko heard Myoga say after a few minutes.

Midoriko nodded, roughly wiping the tears from her cheeks. She gently lay Akane on the ground, ignoring her bloody haori.

"Stay here." Midoriko said, her voice breaking as she spoke. "I need to get the doctor."

"Don't be stupid." Masayoshi said, clutching his side and swaying a little. "The doctor's dead."

"We don't know that for sure." Midoriko said, picking up her sword, her hands shivering. "I will be quick. Akane needs a doctor. And as a matter of fact, so do you. I was never really good at medicine."

Masayoshi caught Midoriko's hand and stopped her from going towards the shrine.

"You need to think." Masayoshi said, angrily. "This is not the time for an over-reaction."

"Do you have any other ideas then?" Midoriko asked, desperately.

She knew that it was a long shot that the doctor was alive. The carnage at the village seemed absolute.

Masayoshi frowned. He let Midoriko go and reached under the sleeve of his shirt. His expression was stony.

"I hate losing." He muttered as he blew into a leaf, letting out a low whistle.

Midoriko looked at him confused.

"Inu no Taisho and I had a bet." Masayoshi said, settling down in the shade of a tree. "We bet as to who would need the other first. If he ever needed me, he would blast a red light towards the sky. And if I ever needed him, I called him with this."

Midoriko slowly nodded.

"Stay right here." She said in a soothing voice. "I will be back soon. There's no point..."

Midoriko was cut short when two Inu daiyokai landed near them. The demon with the blue stripes had his eyes fixed on Masayoshi. The other demon, who seemed older and female, looked at the lot in general, revealing her fangs in a doggy smile. She bent her knees, the younger demon following suit.

Masayoshi carefully placed Akane on the older demon's back. She immediately took off towards the castle, giving the younger demon a brief. Masayoshi moved to help Midoriko, but Midoriko pushed him away.

"THIS WAS IT!" Midoriko shouted angrily. "THIS WAS YOUR BIG PLAN? DID YOU ALREADY FORGET THAT IT WAS DEMONS WHO SLAUGHTERED THE VILLAGE? HURT AKANE AND YOU?"

"I just lost my entire family." Masayoshi said, in a low growl. "I'm the last remaining Lord of this land. I'm duty bound to gather our family's allies and get our home back. I'm, however, under no obligation to listen to the whines of a brainless, useless woman. You can go back, for all I care."

He got onto Inu no Taisho's back.

"Let's go." He said, his breathing ragged.

But Inu no Taisho did not move. He lingered for Midoriko, his golden eyes boring into her brown ones. Midoriko watched as the older demon landed near the yokai castle, disappearing from view. Midoriko clenched her fists. She robotically walked towards Inu no Taisho and got onto his back. Inu no Taisho took off towards the castle.

-X-X-

When Midoriko and Masayoshi arrived at the castle, the demon healers were already busy working on Akane.

"Such power..." One of them muttered. Midoriko immediately marched towards Akane and sat next to her, growling at the inu yokai around her.

"Isn't she Midoriko?" Inu no Kogo said, sitting at the same spot as before. "My, my! Is she cloaking her abilities?"

Midoriko shot Inu no Kogo an angry look. Inu no Kogo smiled kindly at the human. Inu no Taisho observed his injured friend getting tended to.

Without warning, Midoriko jumped to her feet. She knotted her fingers in prayer and looked towards the entrance of the castle. She created a barrier, protecting both the humans and the yokai from the pulsating violet miasma that shot towards them. The miasma licked the barrier as it shot away from the castle.

Midoriko swayed a little before falling to her knees, panting. Inu no Kogo was already on her feet, growling, her magenta stripes crackling. She immediately changed forms and charged into the castle, her tail grazing Midoriko's head as she flew.

Inu no Taisho was growling too, his claws getting longer.

"What's going on?" Masayoshi demanded, as the other yokai cowered in fear.

"My father." Inu no Taisho said, moments before changing forms. "That fucking anomaly has captured my father and killed my brothers."

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the long wait! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think in reviews/PMs.**

**As always, keep reading!**


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